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HomeHSNChapter 73HSN 7308 90 30

Hatchway, rails and bulkheads for ships or boats and parts of hull

Hatchway, rails and bulkheads for ships or boats, hull parts

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7308 90 30 (hatchway, rails and bulkheads for ships or boats and parts of hull) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped under the Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme by virtue of S.O. 281(E). Steel Import Monitoring System registration administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is
HSN code
7308 90 30
Chapter
73 · Articles of iron or steel
BIS QCO
Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required
Indian Standard
IS 1161:2014 · effective per S.O. 281(E)
Applicable Partner Government Agencies
BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards
SIMSSIMS·Steel Import Monitoring System

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps
  1. 1
    Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 1161:2014 for steel tubes for structural purposes. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and licensed manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
    Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 281(E) dated 21-01-2020
  2. 2
    Ensure every tube or structural steel component bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number on the product itself. Marking on packaging alone does not satisfy the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 requirement.
    Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Scheme-I marking format
  3. 3
    Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date. Fee ₹500, registration valid for 75 days from issue; the registration must remain within validity on the date of arrival.
    DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023
  4. 4
    Quote both the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register and the SIMS registration against the DGFT portal; either being absent, expired, or scope-mismatched triggers consignment detention.
    ITC HS policy condition 2 of Chapter 73 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962
  5. 5
    If the consignment is a re-import for packaging only, or an SEZ-to-DTA movement without value addition, document the SIMS exemption basis in writing. The BIS QCO obligation under IS 1161:2014 is not waived by either SIMS carve-out — the ISI-marked product requirement continues to apply.
    DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming that shipbuilding-application steel components — hatchways, rails, and hull parts — fall outside the Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 because they are classified as structural articles rather than tubes. IS 1161:2014 covers steel tubes for structural purposes, and the QCO obligation follows the product standard, not the vessel-use intention; an importer who sources from an unlicensed manufacturer on the basis that the product is destined for a ship faces detention and potential confiscation regardless of the marine application.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 7308 90 30 require BIS certification?
Yes. Steel tubes and structural steel components under this tariff line require conformity to IS 1161:2014 under the ISI Mark Scheme, mandatory by virtue of the Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 notified under S.O. 281(E).
Is SIMS registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?
Yes. Steel Import Monitoring System registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and is independent of the BIS QCO obligation. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before arrival.
Does the marine or shipbuilding application of these components exempt them from the BIS QCO?
No. The QCO obligation is triggered by the product standard (IS 1161:2014 for steel tubes for structural purposes) and the tariff classification, not by the downstream application. Shipbuilding use does not constitute a documented carve-out.
Does a single CM/L licence cover all structural tube sizes and manufacturing facilities?
No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by size range, product specification, and manufacturing facility; tubes or components outside the licensed scope or from a different plant are not covered.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / SIMS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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